Tuesday, November 24, 2009

I came up with the concept, and Jorge created the design for this little number. Made for the Fashion "Conscience," the message isn't about ideology. It's not about a lean to the left or a lean to the right; it's about we Americans standing up for our country and fighting for a better way of life....regardless of party, religious background, or culture. It's about recognizing that we've lost our voice, but that we have the power to take it back. And take it back we must.

We've allowed our leaders to lie to us, act unscrupulously on our behalf, take selfish risks with our money, and put profit before people for way too long. This nation was created by the people, for the people...and the people have unfortunately positioned themselves firmly in the backseat. We let everyone else do the driving and complain to ourselves instead of those behind the wheel.

These days the media chases news, not stories and truth. Politicians are slaves to corporate backing and the majority of them care more about their titles and terms; not serving us as they are supposed to be doing. The government bails out the banks and the businesses, and leaves the individuals shackled with the burdens of their shady ethics and mismanagement. The "little guy" is left to pull up their bootstraps and pray for things to get better.

And we're letting it happen.

Not all of us, of course. I know there are many people out there saying "no, not any more." But a lot of us feel powerless against these formidable foes. We're deceived by a representative who promised to be transparent--and watch as no one holds him accountable. We're mistreated by a company who fails to deliver on a brand promise--and we're out the cash. We're at the receiving end of a hike in credit card fees--even though we've always paid on time. It's difficult to know which end is up when the world around us exudes irrationality and a mixed-up moral code

To bring this country back from the brink of disaster, we have to dig down deep and find the words to express our anger, our outrage, our commitment to making this world a place we can all be proud to call home.

Past the birds, the clouds, the airplanesThe runners who stick to the earthI’m too fast for them; they hold themselves backAnd I refuse.

Fast again, wind whips at my skin, yells“Move! Higher! Go!”And I do, I am a follower of the windA friend of the skyI know my place in this worldAnd I know it is not Forever.

This poem wrote me. I let my fingers soar across the keyboard until they found the letters and the words they wanted. Didn't do too much editing when it was done. I liked its energy and felt something true and uninhibted in the poem's stanzas. There's a time and a place for a well-carved poem; and the right moment for something a bit more raw.

After, I found this great image of a woman being lifted up and over a house (maybe hers, maybe not). It felt like the perfect fit. Up, up and away....not unlike how this poem came into being.

Over the years, I've learned not to fight the writing that has a mind of its own. In fact, it's the out of control writing that makes me feel most connected to something way beyond myself...a God who chooses to reveal himself without direction, rhyme, or punctuation.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

I loved Judy Blume books when I was growing up. I love them now, too. She captures what it means to be a girl in a way that's utterly timeless. I felt comforted by her characters that were smart, curious, and emotionally invested in the people surrounding them. Too many authors neglect the true emotional connections in their novels. They're heavy on gimmicks and plot devices, and weak on heart.

I recently found this quote from her and smiled at its simplicity and truth. Isn't friendship such an amazing and crucial part of life? Doesn't matter if it's your husband, sister, mother, girlfriend...moments with a real friend, someone who can be present with you through bliss and through pain, are precious. They are to be held onto like a cup of tea; gently but with both hands. Friends serve as our mirrors and as our pillows. They reflect who we are back at us and show us where we need to to grow, need to love, need to push forward--and the cushion our heads when the weight of the world drags us underneath the covers.

I've been blessed with both friends who have stuck by me and supported me, and friends who have flown the coop when it was no longer convenient. I say blessed because the good friends are my LIFE. They fill my heart and soul with such love and understanding and I do not want to participate in this earth experiment without them. The not-so-good friends have pushed me to look at myself more deeply, to question and refine my values, to learn the meaning of letting go. The anguish I've experienced when a friend reveals themselves to not be so has burned away my false expectations of myself and others and let me see the world more clearly. That's a gift.

I have so many dreams and ambitions, but one of my most valued is to be a good friend--to myself, to my husband, to my family, and to those cherished few who have let me into their lives. To remember their journeys, to be present for their celebrations and their devastations, to know them as completely and honestly as they will let me.

A Bit About Me

Author of The Fabulous Freckles Finney, co-creator of The Speqtors and Heroine Chic. Senior-level freelance copywriter for national brands, organizations, and start-ups. Contact me at mnewco1977@yahoo.com